Poocabud

ok....i did some net searching, and i found that a 400w HPS gives off about 130 to 140 lumens/watt. i'm using two very bright 20 watt compact fluoros that each give off 2400 lumens. thats 120 lumens/watt.

now think of the benefits of compact fluoros...very low heat, you can keep them very close (i have mine less than an inch away), and they are easier to move around.

so lets say you have ten plants, instead of a 400w HPS at 5200 lumens/plant, how about 20 compact fluoros at 4800 lumens/plant. same wattage, only slightly less lumens, but the lights are very close so theres the least amount of stretching possible.

on the other hand, 1000 watters have more lumens/watt, and even 20 compact fluoros is a lot, so for big grows an HID is the right choice, but just for a few plants i reccomend

:::in an advertising voice:::

COMPACT FLUOROS


Poocabud

[This message has been edited by Poocabud (edited September 23, 2000).]

lensman

but here those things cost $20 each .. so that would cost ya 400$ for those 20 CF's .. how long do they last? are you getting your $$$ worth in the long run?

lumens per new bulb per $ is also a LOT less ..

unless you are getting some mad good deal on those things ..

also, 20 of those things would be a nightmare to wire .. and what do you do for reflectors? that would be interesting to see .. a 20 CF light hood .. it would be an impressive sight i bet!! [if you run without any type of light hood you are wasting those lumens!!!]

remember to do a total cost analysis over the life of your system ..

lensman

oh yea, for a small area they would be good cause they are so small .. but i think you can get some small hps's pretty cheap too oughtta go to home depot and check prices .. havn't been there in a while ..

Poocabud

im using 2 moveble reflectors (those silver half-spheres with a clamp to hold it in place) on my lights. also, i was using 20 lights in the example for ease of calculation. my point was, for a couple of plants, compact fluoros might not be a bad idea. so if ya got the $$....

Poocabud